Apparatus for making lock screws having friction locking plugs inserted therein



Aprxl 10, 1956 c. H. BORNER ErAL 2,740,973

APPARATUS FCR MAKING LOCK SCREWS HAVING FRICTION LOCKING PLUGS INSERTED THEREIN med oct. 17. 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIGA.

5o THEIR ATTORNEYS.

- DOMINICO R.TARALLO Aprll 10, 1956 c. H. BORNER ETAL 2,740,973

APPARATUS FOR MAKING Locx scREws HAVING FRICTION LOCKING PLUGS INSERTED THEREIN med oct. 17. 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS.

O .L L HMM EA WT f OR wm Bw MN RWM @D THEIR ATTORNEYS.

April 10, 1956 c. H. BQRNER ETAL l 2,740,973

' APPARATUS FOR MAKING LOCK SCREWS HAVING y FRICTION LOCKING PLUGS INSERTED THEREIN Filed Oct. 1'?. 1952 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 F IG.7.

INVENTORS. CARL H. BORNER DOMINICO R.TARAL.LO

THEIR ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent APPARATUS FOR'MAKING LOCK SCREWS HAV- ING FRICTION LOCKING PLUGS INSERTED THEREIN Carl H. Burner, Dumont, N. J., and Dominica R. Tarallo, Towson, Md., assignors to The Nylok Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 17, 1952, Serial No. 315,244

4 Claims. (Cl. 10-2) This invention relates to machines for making selflocking screws, bolts and the like, of the type having a locking plug of rubber, nylon or other resilient synthetic or natural material for restraining the screw or the like against rotation after it has been received in a complementally threaded hole, nut or the like. VMore particularly, the invention relates to an automatic machine tool for drilling recesses in screws, bolts and the like for cutting and inserting the resilient plugs into the recesses.

The invention further relates to improvements in tix tures for holding the screws, bolts and the like, during drilling and plug inserting operations.

Heretofore, the operations of drilling recesses in screws,

bolts and the like, hereinafter' referred to, generically, `as screws, and inserting the resilient plugs therein have been manual operations which have created considerable diiiculty because of the fact that many screws are relatively small and diiiiculty has been encountered in holdling them lixedly during the drilling and inserting of the resilient plugs. Moreover, because of the lack of high speed automatic machinery the production rate is much lower than might be desired and the cost of production commensurately increased.

Finally, and probably most important of all, the drilling of a hole in an externally threaded part has always presented diiculties because of burrs which are formed around the hole and which are very diicult to remove Veven by chasing.

In accordance with the present invention, we have provided an automatic machine having a novel type of jigor xture for receiving screws for holding them securely vduring'the drilling and plug inserting operations and for cleaning out metal particles from the drilled holes prior to insertion of the plug thereunto and for ejecting the screws automatically after they have been linished. In addition, this new type of lixture permits the drilling of holes in externally threaded parts without the formation of burrs even after the drills are no longer sharp.

The new automatic machine is constructed and arranged to drill the recesses in the screws at accurately Alocated zones and to accurately controlled depths and to cut and insert the resilient plugs quickly and precisely into the recesses. In this way, the machine provides a `high rate of production with a minimum of damaged or rejected screws so that the screws can be produced economically and in the large quantities required industrially. t

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l'is 'a view in elevation and partly in section of a screw produced by the machine embodying the present invention;

. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section taken through a portion of an automatic machine of the type embodying the present invention;

` fFig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the machine Patented Apr. l0, 1956 with parts broken away and partially in section to disclose details of the screw supporting fixtures and the cooperating tools;

Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of a fixture of the type embodying the present invention for receiving and supporting a screw during drilling and plug inserting operations thereon;

Fig. 5 is a view in section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4 showing a portion of the supporting fixture with the jaws thereof separated for receiving a screw;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a typical radial drill for drilling of holes in the sides of screws, a portion of the casing of the drill and actuating mechanism therefor being broken away;

Fig. 7 is a view in partially vertical section and partially in elevation of a tool for cutting and inserting plugs of resilient material into the recesses drilled in the screws.

A typical machine tooi embodying the present invention may be produced by suitably modifying a basic machine tool of known type. Such basic machine tool may be an automatic twin spindle tapping machine of the type manufactured by the Bodine Corporation of Btidgcport, Connecticut, and identified in their catalogue, Copyright 1945, as the No. 48 tapping machine.

Fig. 1 of the drawings discloses a typical form of screw S to be produced by the machine. The screw S has a head H of any desired kind such as hexagonal, socket or slotted and a threaded shank or stem T. Arecess R is drilled radially of the stem and a plug P of resilient material is inserted in the recess with its outer end eX- tending outwardly beyond the root lines and preferably the crests of the threads on the stem T. Other types of screws can also be produced with the new machine, for example, screws Yhaving diametrical recesses therethrough to receive a plugextending completely through the stem and having its opposite ends exposed on opposite sides of the stem. j i

An apparatus embodying the invention and used for producing such screws will now be described. Fig. 2 of the drawings shows only a portion of the Bodine tapping machine, inasmuch as this machine is well known and, moreover, is shown in copending application Serial No. 201,468, tiled December 18, 1950, by Carl H. Borner and now abandoned. The Bodine tapping machine in cludes a base frame 10 on which is rotatably mounted a table 11 which may be driven by means of a suitable pawl and ratchet mechanism 12 for step-by-step rotation. The table is provided with a sleeve or quill portion 13 which connects it with the ratchet of the pawl and ratchet mechanism 12 and also supports the table for rotation in the bearing sleeve 14 mounted in the frame of the machine. The table 11 and the corresponding portion of the frame 10 of this machine may be adjusted vertically by means of an adjusting screw 15 and an adjustable screw threaded leg 16 mounted on the base 17 of the machine. Y

The machine includes a crosshead member 18 which is reciprocated vertically by means of a motor and suitable cams (not shown). The motor also drives the pawl and ratchet mechanism 12. The machine also includes the spacer rods 19 and 20 which support a motor platform 21 in spaced relation to the table 11. ln operation, the table 11 is rotated step-by-step with dwell periods between its movements and during these dwell periods, the crosshead is reciprocateddown and up with a substantialdwell at the top and bottom of its movement. The machine thus far described is conventional. Referring now to Fig. 3, the table 11 is used to support a plurality of screw receivinglxtures 22, 23, 24 and so forth, which are mounted in angularly spaced relation around the edge of the table. All of the fixtures 22, 23 and 24 are alike and only one ofvthem will be described :herein "Thexturei-zzgas shown in Fi'gs53, 4 and Sfmay consist of a back platemember 25 whichis secured tothe top of the table by means of a pair of screws 26 and 27 extending upwardly from =the bottom of the table and eugagingiinthreaded openings'i28 and.29fin,;the:bottomfof thefplate 25. vwThe-fbacleplate.hasfan extension 25m which extends into a notch 11a in the edge of the tablet' 11 and iszsuhstantially ushwviththe' edge of thetable. -Theixrture-ZZ-.also'includes a front plate-30 which-.isof generally rectan'gtdar'shapc in front view as shown-in gFigtl. e'lhe front plate is movable relative to the backoplate-a251in a :radial direction'and is-1 supported'vfor: such movement by vmeans ot" ai'pair .of lrods 31 and" `32 r.which are-:slidably received in theopenings'aand 34.:in:thegupperfpart of theback yplateZS. Theouter'endsof-the 'rodsfare screwed kinto.'irrternally.threaded openingstin theifront platet).

.The frontl plate '30 tis normally lbiased. toward the' back plate by means of the coil springs 35 and 36 which encircle thef rods 31.and 32; bear atone end againstthe hack of rthebacle'plate Tand at their opposite 'ends' against.. across .plate- 37 .'to'whichthe inner endsof .therodsland 32 are-:secured by. means of Vthel nuts. 33 .and y39. .inthe :retracted f position of the .front plate l 30, it.overlies kthe -extensionfZSa and their outersurfaces'are substantially :ushuwitheach other.

The front `plate'30 of the tixture A22`may bemoved `radially. outward 'with .respect1tothe'back plate byV means of a cam plate 40 which Vis supported substantially centrally .of .the table 11 as `shown in Figs..2 and 3. The'cam plate 'Q10-has: a', stem 41 which extendsdown through' thesleeve shaft= 13. and is tsecured vnon-rotatably .to the.- base 17` 'of :the'machine bymeans of the screws 42 extending-through -the`flange43 on the lower. end of the stem 41. The cam -plate'may lbe adjusted angularly byprovidingslots rin the `baseflange` 43 allowing. angular adjustment of' the :base flangefrelative to the base17 of VtheV machine. The cro'ss lplate 37 of the .fixture 22 fis provided with a camlfollower '37a1whichlbears against the edge-of the camfp'late 40.

.i-AsishoWn-in'Fig.' 5, the backr plate 25of vthe lixtureahas -a semi-cylindrical smooth recessin'its outerxfacei44 'to engage the back of the shank of a screw. The "semi-cylin- 'dric'al recess is joined at itslowerv end to alargersemicylindrical recess 45.

The front plate :30fhas a .partiallythreadedsemiacylin- .drical` recess 46 confronting thesemi-cylindrical recess`44 forengagement withthe Vthreadsof a'rscrew to=be`operated uponfin-the-machine. The' lower end-of the recessi46 communicateswith an enlarged semi-cylindrical recess'47.

The cavity de'ned by-'the recesses452-a1'1df'47l when-'the rontiand vback plates are in'= en'ga'gerrlent,` or- Asubstantially =so, receives, asshown in Fig. 4, elongated-stemfmember 48'which acts 'to admit compressedl air between :the front Aandiback' plates to eject a screw 'from the 'xturegfas'will "berdescribed hereinafter,and.to position ascre'wS endwiseinithe fixture. `The stem member 48 VmayV be `adjusted .'endwise `to 'adrnitlthetscrew-:S a greater 'or lesser distance into the. xture. The `stem-member v48 \is" tubularf an'd the .passage 491therein has its lower endV closed by meansof a screw= plug 50. Thestern member-"48-is2thre'ad'e'dv through the extension a of the back plate and is held in coaxial relation toitherecess/45. The upperend ofthe'lstem 48 `is-.open and-lisdisposedbelow the vlower end'oa-screw .Sreceived;inthexture. 'I The stem alsohas' a' radial bore 49a therein 1whichris. in=l`alignmentfwithv'an opening-51 drilled through 'the frontfof"theferttension '-flffto'V 'admitfair into `the'longitudinal boi-649.

Directly above" the? opening 511 4lis another" opening-:52 which; communicates by': means' of a* 'diagonal'epassageSS with a radial bore'54' near-the topothe frontlpla'te'l). Thefp'osition ofthe radial bore 54k depends upon' thev position thatthe plug receiving 'recessis' -to 'be idi'lled i'n'to'lhe 'screw S supported in thexture.

The' ixtureflis Eopened-to receiveithe'screwfby means kof a l'obe`55 on 'the' cam40 which displaces the`front plate 30. radially out and away. fromthe back plate 25.

As the table 11 steps to position for drilling of a hole in the screw, the follower 37a on the cross bar 37 rides off the lobe 55 of the cam and allows the springs to move the jaws 25 and 30 together, as illustrated by the positions of the front and back plates ofthe fixture 23 in Fig. 3. .lf 'the threads of'the' screw Sdopnot'mesh Yfully'withjthe 4:threaded :portion 46 of .thel xture, a slight. twist. oflthe screw S will cause it to mesh with the threads onthefront plate 30 of the fixture. Inasmuch as -the ,front plateis tbiased. inwardly nby springs rather. than by positivemechanical means,..damage'.to the -threads of the screws is reduced to a minimum.

With.the screW-h'eldtrmly in theixturejtherccess for receiving the resilient .insert is Vvthen-drilled in the screw by means of a radial drill 57. VThe drill 57 is of conventional type and may include, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 6,- a chuck 58:for receivingadrill, .theLchuck-.being :mounted on ashaft 59 havingl a pulley. 'nonhrotatably but. slidably mounted .thereon and driven by :means 1 of'y a -b`elt.=61 `and a motor 62.mounted on the;platform21 as -lshown in. Fig.. 2. 'The/shaft 59 is` rotatably mounted in -a 'rack sleeve 63 whichis supported ina casing 64.mounted `on the frame 10 of the machine. .The rack sleeve 63I and 'thesh'aft 59 rotatable thereinare advanced and retracted .by .means of .aI gear 65. mounted. infthe. casing 642and meshing'withtheA rack163. The shaft.66 which-supports '.the;gear.65 is extended outwardly throughthe casing; and is provided with a lever 67:.on itssouterend. Thelever 67 lis lpivotally. received inv aclevis 68.onthe"end1of a rod: 69 fwhich.' extends up .through lthe crosshead 18 and f is provided'with a collar 70 bearing against the. under side yofthe .crosshead 18. The rod or shaft 69-isloosely receivedincthe icrossheadand is biased upwardly by-means of'a spring71interposed .between the crosshead 18=and `an enlarged head`72-onthe upper endfofthefshaft. The collar: 70. '.is adjustable lengthwise of ythe shaft 69 to vary -fthenstroke of therod and Ltheextent oftinwardandoutward::movement:ofthe chuck 58-andthe drill bit"v` 73 therein.

"-Theradial `dri1li57fis so. positionedthat'the drill bit Y73wwill1passthroughztheopening 54 in the front plate Iand -willadrillta recess into the shank-of the .screw toay predeiterminedzdepthf during downward movement of1the `crosshead 18. During upward movement ofthe'crosshead 18 'the' drill .is'.'retracted vnrwithdrawn and'thereafterf the xture ismovedrto the nextfstage` of operation where-the 'resilient plugdsrcutf.andfinserted into the drilled recess. .During :themovement `of .the table 11l between *the* drillingiistageiandzthezplug"cutting-and inserting stage,l 'the xture'rrnovesfpast an airblastdevice'75 which blows-the `chips rfromithefrecess intheffscrew. 'The air blast'de- Fvice f'mayl consisttof a casing -or block v76 t which 'slidably rengagesfthe edgeof the rtable 11. 'The casing'76'- has an zelongated; groove? 77 'cutin its'face-I-which overliesthe opening 52 in the front plate during movement `ofi-the -ixturelpast `the I device' 75. yAirl is suppliedy to the -groove '77 through' an inlet coupling f78-and a valve chamberY 79 \havinga valve-seat280A andy a cooperating poppet valve 481 etherein. 'Thepoppet valve istbiased by means ofl spring A82;agai-nstfthese'at but can beldisplaced'ifrom'thevseat by-fmeansoflthe'stem 83 v'vhichprojects fromftheV inside io'fthe. casing 76 and4 engages the frontplat`30 'about mid- Iwaybetweenftheopenings'Sland-"52. f'Whenthe' ppppet valve 81 is displaced from its seat, air can ow fromlthe .chamber79p'ast the valve-'81 arid-through an'inelined :passage-84 i'ntothe. groove/77. AThe=air blast thus-'is'"di rected through the opening 52 and the inclined"and fradialpassagesilr andi 54 into the recess drilled in the fscrew S with-thel -res'ult :that any -chips 'remaining therein are blown out through the radial passage S4.

'In"'thethird' position' ofthe'y fixture and the 'screw S, 'fthexture`24isin alignment with a plug. cutting' and inserting device which is of a typedisclosed adl'described in the Borner application Serial Nolr 201,468. Generally, the device as shown in Fig. 7, includes a pair of clutch elements 91 and 92 which act to grip a portion of a rod R of the resilient material such as nylon and feed it into a positionwhere plugs or sections can be cut from the end of the rod by means of a vertically reciprocating knife or cut-oli member 93. The chuck member 91 is of tubular form and has a stem 94 slidable in a bracket 95 on the frame 96 of the cutting and inserting device 90. The outer end of the stem 94 is provided with an enlargement 97 which is engaged by one arm 98 of a bell crank lever pivotally supported on an L-shaped bracket 99 extending upwardly from the sleeve 95. The bell crank has a horizontally extending arm 100 which is engaged by means of an adjusting screw 101 carried by a bracket 102 extending downwardly from and secured to the cross head 18 so that as the crosshead moves up and down, the bell crank 98 is oscillated and the chuck member 91 is reciprocated back and forth.

The chuck member 91 is provided with spring biased jaws 103 which grip the rod R during movement of the chuck to the right to advance it endwise but release the rod upon movement of the chuck member 91 to the left. The chuck member 92 also has jaws 104' which are .tapered and biased by a spring 105 to prevent movement of the rod to the left but allow it tobe advanced by the chuck member 91 to the right.

The right-hand end of the rod extends through the sleeves 106 and 107 on an extension 108 of the machine into a vertical slot 109 in which the cut-olf member 93 is reciprocated. The cut-off member consists of a steel plate having a hardened annular bushing 110 therein and is reciprocated by means of a yoke member 111 which is connected by means of a rod 112 to the crosshead 18. The extension 108 also includes a stop member 113 for limiting the advance of the rod R.

The dwell of the crosshead 18 enables the rod to be advanced into the annular cut-oli plate 113 while the latter is stationary. During downward movement of the cut-oli member 93, the end of the rod is sheared oi and it is moved downwardly into alignment with a tubular nipple 114 at the lower end of the extension 108. The plug is then forced from the cut-oli member through the nipple 114 and the opening 54 in the front plate 30 of the iixture into the recess drilled in the screw S by means of a punch 115 which is driven by a hydraulic cylinder or ram 116. The ram 116 is operated in timed relation to the remainder of the mechanism by a suitable control valve system operated by means of a cam or any other desired structure (not shown) on the main drive of the machine. A safety control circuit 120 is provided to prevent operation of the entire machine and damage thereto if the punch 115 should be jammed in the cut-oli member 93, as described more particularly in the Borner application Serial No. 201,468.

After the plug has been inserted in the recess of the screw, the table 11 is moved to an ejecting station where the screwis blown out of the fixture by an air blast device 121 similar to the air blast device 75, described above. The air blast device 121 differs from the air blast device 75 in that the groove 122 therein is positioned to come into alignment with the hole 51 in the front of the extension a of the back plate. Thus, a blast of air is directed into the opening 50 along the axial bore 49 of the stem 48 and is directed thereby against the lower end of the screw S. Inasmuch as the follower 37a at this point is in engagement with a lobe 123 on the cam 40, the front plate is moved away from the back plate thereby releasing the screw so that it can be blown from the fixture and received in a suitable hopper, not shown.

While the invention has been described with reference to the use of only a single radial drill and a single plug cutting and inserting device, it will be understood that duplicate sets of drills and other mechanisms may be provided in the machine torincrease its capacity. The

the timing of the machine and jsuch timing can be accomplished in the manner described in the above-mentioned Bornerapplication. 1

The. above-described machine provides an accurate speedy means for drilling recesses in screws of various types and inserting resilient plugs therein and accomplishes these operations with a minimum of damage to the screws or threads thereon. The screws are held securely in the fixtures and all parts of the machine can be brought into an accurate, predetermined alignment with the screws because there can be no movement or slippage ot the screws while held in the fixtures.

It will be understood that the apparatus is susceptible to considerable modication and that it need not be practiced with the Bodine type of dual spindle tapping machine but can be adapted to other types of machines of original or conventional construction. Therefore, the form of the invention described herein should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for making lock screws having a substantially horizontal rotatable table and means for rotating said table, the combination therewith of at least one iixture to receive a screw mounted on said table adjacent to its outer edge, said fixture comprising a back plate having a recess in its outer face and a front plate having a recess in its inner face, one of said recesses having threads therein complemental to the threads on said screw, means supporting said front and back plates for relative movement toward and away from each other and substantially radially of said table, resilient means normally urging said front and back plates toward each other, said front plate having a radial opening therethrough intersecting the recess therein, and an inclined passage intersecting said radial opening to introduce air under pressure into said radial opening, a first passage in said back plate and extending axially of and communicating with the lower end of the recess therein, and a second passage in said back plate to introduce air under pressure into said iirst passage.

2. The machine set forth in claim l comprising drilling means adjacent to said fixture, means to move said drilling means toward and away from said fixture, said drilling means being in alignment with said radial opening in said front plate in one position of said table to enter said radial opening and drill a recess at least partially through said screw.

3. The machine set forth in claim 1 comprising means spaced angularly apart around said table for introducing air successively into said inclined passage and said second passage in different positions of said table.

4. The machine set forth in claim 1 comprising radially movable drill means including a drill bit adjacent the outer edge of said table, means to rotate said table stepby-step to align said xture with said drill means, means to move said drill bit into and out oi said radial opening to drill a recess in a screw in said fixture, plug inserting means adjacent the edge of said table and angularly spaced from said drill means, means to actuate said plug inserting means to insert a plug of resilient material through said radial opening into said recess, first air blast means between said drill means and said plug inserting means communicating with said inclined passage as said fixture is moved from said drilling means to said plug inserting means, and second air blast means spaced angularly from said plug inserting means for introducing air into said second passage to blow the screw out of said fixture after said plug has been inserted into said screw.

(References on following page) 

